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"BNP gain three seats."

Not sure if any of you have heard, but the BNP has gained three seats in the local elections.

And some far right bloke in the Netherlands is apparently getting a lot of support.

This seems to be a bit of a wake up call perhaps?

Discuss.

(Those of you that actually care, anyway...)

Your Honour wrote:
> And the reason is that we treat Asylum Seekrs better than any other
> country in Europe. Why else do you think all those illegal immigrants
> risk death by running through the Channel Tunnel at night time?
>
> Yes, they need to get to a place where they are safe and have a good
> chance in life. But what about all the homeless people in this
> country? Don't they deserve a chance in life as well? And what do they
> get? Does the government build centres for them to live in, all nice
> and warm with TV's and stuff? No. I belive charity starts at home.

I agree totally that we should try and help the homeless, I understand that this is a problem, but I was just trying to highlight the fact as you mentioned that, asylum seekers want to provide the BEST for their children, and that means England.

Also I agree that being called a white....
should carry the same conatations as calling someone a black/indian/hispanic/whatever....

Please don't think that I am in anyway condoning homelessness or racism towards white people. I went to a school where I once asked to join in a lunchtime cricket match and was told no it's India v Pakistan, no white people. I hold nothing against those that said that to me, I know they were not racist, sometimes innocuos comments can be blown up out of all proportion when it is not necessary.

However I am not condoning the use of racist comments, I just didn't find it a racist comment. Perhaps this is due to being a white person in a predominantely white country. I can never pretend to say that I have experienced racism because I feel it is one of the worse kinds of evil. Sometimes though people just speak without thinking.

AndMcGrn wrote:
> It is pretty naive to blame the plight of the NHS on asylum seekers.
> Do you honestly think that by getting rid of asylum seekers that all
> of a sudden the NHS will become the best healthcare system in the
> world. I don't. Asylum seekers come here because they have nowhere
> else to go. Stop thinking of yourselves, we should extend a helping
> hand to all those that can't help themselves. Do they deserve to be
> treated as lesser people just because they were born in a country that
> opresses them? Of course not, they have probably had more suffering
> and abuse in their lives than any of us could imagine. They have come
> to this country in order to be able to provide their children with an
> education, a safe home, and freedom, what's wrong with that?


I agree with you about the NHS. It's not the asylum seekers fault. There has to be a lot of money and time put into the NHS but which ever government is in power.

You say Asylum Seekers come here because they have no where else to go. But they do have other places to go. The rest of Europe is fully capble of looking after them. But the Asylum Seekers travel right the way across Europe to get to here.

If I was in fear of my life in my own country, I would get to the first safe country I could. I would NOT travel hundreds (if not thousands) of miles all the way across Europe, unless there was a damn good reason for it.

And the reason is that we treat Asylum Seekrs better than any other country in Europe. Why else do you think all those illegal immigrants risk death by running through the Channel Tunnel at night time?

Yes, they need to get to a place where they are safe and have a good chance in life. But what about all the homeless people in this country? Don't they deserve a chance in life as well? And what do they get? Does the government build centres for them to live in, all nice and warm with TV's and stuff? No. I belive charity starts at home.

Let's sort our problems out first. Sort out our NHS, the Education and Transport systems. Only then will we be in a fit state to help out other countries to the maximum.


> Don't kid yourselves that this countries problems are caused by the
> abundance of asylum seekers. I think it is one of the best parts of
> being British, to be part of a society that is integrated with all
> walks of life and cultures, that gives all people the basic freedoms
> of life, freedoms we take for granted. If you just turn around and
> blame someone else all the time, then carry on. Just remember though
> that these people are trying to give their children the start in life
> that they didn't get. Anyone who wouldn't want to give their children
> the best start in life raise your hand. If anyone is sitting there
> with their hand up then, I hope and pray you never have children.


I agree with you that mixed cultures is a good thing. I went to universit in Leicester, and I loved that city. There is a large Asian community, and because there are two universities there are people of all races. And it's good. A mix of cultures, a mix of music and food and drink and everything else.

But it's when anti-racisms goes so far that if you're white, male and in your mid-twenties that you're at the bottom of the pile - well, that's wrong. I have nothing against equality, I'm all for it. But we do not have eqaulity in this country at the moment.

Take this example, if you will:

A black/asian/chinese/whatever man is driving down the road. I go to cross the road without looking. He slams his breaks on, leans out the window and shouts "Look where you're going you white idiot" or whatever. No one would bat an eyelid.

Say the positions are swapped. I'm in the car, he walks out in front of me. I lean out the window and shout "Look where you're going you black/asian/chinese/whatever idiot".

Now, both of those shouts are racist. Yet no one would say anything to him, and I'd be branded a racist.

THAT is wrong.

One thing about the french election occurred to me, even if la penn doesn;t win, if he posts say, 25% of the vote, surely chiraque (sp?) has to give some weight to the fact that a quater of the electorate want far right government. If he doesn't, he's totally oppressing the political beliefs of quater of his country. Maybe it'd come in the form of policy changes, maybe he'll appoint extreme right politicians to his cabinet, mybe other stuff too.

Even if la penn doesn't win, the far right still will probably claim a big victory when results are announced later today.

My Mum used to be 100% Conservative, but since 9/11 she's decided she's a far-right racist Nazi. She's a very convincing Nazi too, she'd loved Hitler. She's also voting BNP. Well, not if I've got anything to do with it.

It is pretty naive to blame the plight of the NHS on asylum seekers. Do you honestly think that by getting rid of asylum seekers that all of a sudden the NHS will become the best healthcare system in the world. I don't. Asylum seekers come here because they have nowhere else to go. Stop thinking of yourselves, we should extend a helping hand to all those that can't help themselves. Do they deserve to be treated as lesser people just because they were born in a country that opresses them? Of course not, they have probably had more suffering and abuse in their lives than any of us could imagine. They have come to this country in order to be able to provide their children with an education, a safe home, and freedom, what's wrong with that?

Don't kid yourselves that this countries problems are caused by the abundance of asylum seekers. I think it is one of the best parts of being British, to be part of a society that is integrated with all walks of life and cultures, that gives all people the basic freedoms of life, freedoms we take for granted. If you just turn around and blame someone else all the time, then carry on. Just remember though that these people are trying to give their children the start in life that they didn't get. Anyone who wouldn't want to give their children the best start in life raise your hand. If anyone is sitting there with their hand up then, I hope and pray you never have children.

We should think before we speak, (or type). By adopting these ideas we are just becoming another supporter of selfish, opressive thinking.

And the reason people no longer vote is because of apathy, they are disillusioned by the choices they have because they believe no will provide a solution to the problems we face.

simon45 wrote:
> What do you mean by spoil the paper?

Just send it in without anything that could be interpreted as a vote on it.
Maybe leave it blank, scribble on it, anything except marking out one party really.
Just be careful to make sure it doesn't look like you tried to vote for one. I'm not sure of the counters' critera for interpretting what is an acceptable 'vote'.

The three seats will mean very little in the grand scheme of things. The BNP won't "undermine the fabric of our society" as the Daily Express put it (god I hate that paper).
There won't be a Nazi revolution, World War 3, or another Holocaust because of the three seats. Hopefully though, it will scare the government into thinking.

It might push the government into revising its pathetic attitude to asylum seekers. So instead of rebuilding Yarl's Wood for asylum seekers, why not rebuild it for some of our homeless? Instead of so many free handouts, why not channel some of the saved money into the NHS, OAP's Pensions or education? Why not make the asylum seekers work (if they are able)

Hopefully this little political blip will make "New" Labour think more carefully on its policies...

What do you mean by spoil the paper?

That's a very good point actually.
I think it's probably a combination of increasing support and lower turnout though.

After talking about voter apathy to a politically minded friend of mine, for what seemed like far too long (about 5 minutes ; ) ), he convinced me that if you don't feel you can support any of the parties, it's a better political statement to spoil the ballot paper than not to bother.

Basically, not voting suggests lazyness and contentment with current government. Spoiling the paper suggests support of none of the listed parties or being uncapable of working a biro : D

It appears to me that the only reason that the 'smaller' parties ,such as the BNP,are getting slightly higher success rates in certain areas,is not due to the fact that they are becoming more popular.
It is due to the fact that less people are voting now ,more than ever before.
That is why it is important to vote.Why don't people vote anyway?
It's not difficult,and there is usually a polling station close to most homes.
The disabled are able to use the postal voting system.
So there really is no excuse,i guess it's just laziness.